Animal toy



March 19, 1946. HERRMANN ANIMAL TOY Filed Oct. 20, 1945 TYWHA/E Y5.

Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNlTED STATES PATENT ()FFICE ANIMAL TOY Max Herrmann, Chicago, 111. Application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,530

4 Claims.

by a sphere which underlies a fabric covering, the

covering being provided with openings to expose portions of the sphere having markings thereon, the convexity of the sphere simulating the convexity of the'eye balls of the animal.

It is a, still further object to provide in such a head construction, various markings on the sphere which simulate the eyelids and the eye 'balls of the animal, the sphere being adjustable with respect to the fabric coverin so as to provide different facial expressions.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

With reference now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like parts Fig. 1 shows in elevation an animal toy, such as a stuffed dog, which embodies my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the head of the animal shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the sphere which is incorporated in the head.

The dog I0 of Fig. 1 has the usual body II attached to which are a tail l2, a neck l3, and legs IS. A head I4 is mounted on the neck.

The body and the various appendages may be of fabric 16 which is provided with stufiing IT, or any other we11 known form of toy construction may be used. Reenforcin front and rear leg wires I8 and l 9 may be provided, and also a body wire 20. The body wire extends from the tip of the tail l2 through the body H and the neck l3, and forms a portion of the head It. The head 14 includes a muzzle 2| and a nose tip 22. The main portion of the head comprises a ball 23, which may be formed from Celluloid. or similar material. As shown in Fig. 3, the ball 23 is a hollow sphere, and a few pebbles, beads, or the like hard objects, may be disposed within the ball, to provide a rattle. Surrounding the head is a fabric covering which may be made in two pieces, 25 and 26, which are stitched together, as indicated at 21. preferably formed from felt and are felted into The fabric pieces 25 and 2B are hemispherical shapes. Alternatively, fabric pieces 25 and 26, may be made of a comparatively looses ly woven material so that it may be subject to deformation as the fabric pieces are stretched over the ball 23 and sewn together.

The head is maintained in upright relationship by means of the body wire 20 which passes around the top of the head, and is disposed between the fabric covering and the ball, the wire 20 being continued on through the muzzle 2! and into the nose tip 22. The fabric pieces 25 and 26 maybe stitched, or.otherwise secured to the fabric [6 at the neck of the animal. Ears 28 may be suitably stitched to the fabric pieces 25 and 26, and if desired, a reenforcing wire 29 may be provided to permit the ears to be maintained in various positions, such as shown in Fig. 2.

The ball 23, as shown in Fig. 3, may be made in two halves, 30 and 3|. One of these halves is preferably white, and provided with a luster to simulate the luster of the eye ball.

The fabric pieces 25 and 26 are provided with eye openings 32 and 33 which are of oval shape. The white half of the sphere 30 may be provided with oval markings 34 and 35, somewhat smaller in extent than the eye openings 32 and 33, these markings designating the pupils of the animals eyes. The half sphere 3| may be of a different color than the half of the sphere 30, so when a portion of the half of sphere 3| is exposed through the eye openings 32 and 33, the eyelids of the animal are simulated, as shown in Fig. 2.

The arrangement is such that the ball 23 is shiftable with respect to the pieces of fabric 25 and 26 which form the covering for the ball. Thus, varying amounts of the pupils 3E and 35, or of the hemisphere 3|, or both, may be exposed through the eye openings 32 and 33, with the result that different facial expressions are simulated in caricature.

Desirability of the to is enhanced, especially for younger children, by the provision of the pebbles 24, it being understood that the pebbles may be made of any material which cooperates with the material of which the ball 23 is made, so as to provide a rattling noise when the animal is shaken.

To cause the animal to assume various facial positions, the head is grasped by the two hands of the operator, with the thumbs extending on that portion of the ball 23 which is exposed by the eye openings 82 and 33. By manipulation of the thumbs the ball may be rotated within its fabric covering. The forward end of the body wire 26 tends to form a bearing in which the ball may be rotated. By positioning this portion of the wire 20 directly beneath the stitching 21, the stitching is not exposed to any wear.

Instead of the wire 20, a band or strip may be used, and the wire band or strip may be made of any relativel stifi material.

Although the invention has been appliedto a dog, it is obvious that it may be applied to any other type of animal figure, or to a human figure.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Iclaim: 1. In an animal toy, a head comprising a ball, a fabric covering for said head, an eye opening in said covering, anda mark on said ball repre.-. senting the pupil-of an animals'eye, said" fabric covering conforming substantially to the shape of said ball and serving as a bearing in which said ball may be rotated whereby a greater or 25 less portion of said marking will be exposed through said eye opening.

2. In an animal toy, a head comprising a ball having marks thereon indicating the pupils of an' animal's eyes, a fabric covering for said ball having two openings therein which designate the; outline of an animal's, eyes, the spacing of said openings being substantially the same as the spacing of said markings, and being somewhat larger than said markings, said ball being shiftable with respect to said covering so as to create different facial expressions.

3. An animal toy comprising a stufied body, a hollow spherical head portion secured to said body, and having eye openings therein, a ball rotatably disposed within said spherical head portion, said ball being made from two hemi-.

spherical members, the spherical surface of one of which is white, and the spherical surface of the other of which is colored, and markings on said white hemispherical member designating the pupils of the eyes, said markings being disposed-sufficiently close to the edge of said hemispherical member that at least a portion of one of said. markings and a portion of the colored hemispherical member may be exposed through one of said eye openings.

4. An animal toy comprising a stuffed body, a hollow, spherical felt member secured to said body for representing the head of the animal, and having eye openings therein, a ball rotatably disposed within said hollow spherical felt member, said ball having markings thereon Which are adapted to be exposed through said eye openings, and pebbles disposed withinsaid ball, said ball being formed from a hard mate- MAX HERRMANN. 

